TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Zechariah - Chapter 4
Translation and Transliteration of
Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:
- Commentary
- Buy E-book
- Buy the Israel Bible
1The angel who talked with me came back and woke me as a man is wakened from sleep.
vai-YA-shov ha-mal-ACH ha-do-VAYR BEE, va-y'-ee-REY-nee k'-EESH a-SHER yay-OR mi-sh'-NA-to.
אוַיָּ֕שׇׁב הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י וַיְעִירֵ֕נִי כְּאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יֵע֥וֹר מִשְּׁנָתֽוֹ׃
2He said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a menorah all of gold, with a bowl above it. The lamps on it are seven in number, and the lamps above it have seven pipes;
va-YO-mer ay-LAI MAH a-TAH ro-EH va-o-MAR ra-EE-tee v'-hi-NAY m'-no-RAT za-HAV ku-LAH v'-gu-LAH al ro-SHAH v'-shiv-AH nay-ro-TE-ha a-LE-ha shiv-AH v'-shiv-AH mu-tza-KOT la-nay-ROT a-SHER al ro-SHAH
בוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה (ויאמר) [וָאֹמַ֡ר] רָאִ֣יתִי ׀ וְהִנֵּ֣ה מְנוֹרַת֩ זָהָ֨ב כֻּלָּ֜הּ וְגֻלָּ֣הּ עַל־רֹאשָׁ֗הּ וְשִׁבְעָ֤ה נֵרֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ שִׁבְעָ֤ה וְשִׁבְעָה֙ מֽוּצָק֔וֹת לַנֵּר֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־רֹאשָֽׁהּ׃
4:2 A menorah all of gold
Replica of the Temple menorah
The Sages refer to Yerushalyim as ‘the light of the world,’ ohro shel olam (אורו של עולם). The symbol of this holy spiritual light was the Temple lamp, the menorah (מנורה), which emanated light through the unusual windows of the Sanctuary. These windows were made narrower on the inside, bringing less sunlight into the Sanctuary, but maximizing the spiritual light that burst forth to the world. This is symbolic of Israel’s mission to be a “light of nations” (Isaiah 42:6).
3and by it are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and one on its left.”
u-sh'-NA-yim z'-ee-TEEM a-LE-ha, e-KHAD mi-MEEM ha-gu-LAH, v'-e-KHAD al-s'-mo-LAH
גוּשְׁנַ֥יִם זֵיתִ֖ים עָלֶ֑יהָ אֶחָד֙ מִימִ֣ין הַגֻּלָּ֔ה וְאֶחָ֖ד עַל־שְׂמֹאלָֽהּ׃
4I, in turn, asked the angel who talked with me, “What do those things mean, my lord?”
va-a-AN va-o-MAR el ha-mal-AKH ha-do-VAYR bi lay-MOR: ma-EY-leh a-do-NEE
דוָאַ֙עַן֙ וָֽאֹמַ֔ר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר מָה־אֵ֖לֶּה אֲדֹנִֽי׃
5“Do you not know what those things mean?” asked the angel who talked with me; and I said, “No, my lord.”
vai-YA-an ha-mal-AKH ha-do-VAYR bee va-YO-mer e-LAI ha-LO ya-DA-ta MAH-he-MAH e-LE va-o-MAR lo a-do-NEE
הוַ֠יַּ֠עַן הַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּי֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י הֲל֥וֹא יָדַ֖עְתָּ מָה־הֵ֣מָּה אֵ֑לֶּה וָאֹמַ֖ר לֹ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי׃
6Then he explained to me as follows: “This is the word of Hashem to Zerubavel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit—said the lord of Hosts.
vai-YA-an vai-YO-mer e-LAI lay-MOR: ZEH d'-VAR a-do-NAI el Z'-ru-BA-vel lay-MOR: lo v'-kha-YIL v'-lo v'-kho-ACH, KEE im b'-ru-KHEE a-MAR a-do-NAI t'-za-VA-OT
ווַיַּ֜עַן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֚ה דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֤א בְחַ֙יִל֙ וְלֹ֣א בְכֹ֔חַ כִּ֣י אִם־בְּרוּחִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
7Whoever you are, O great mountain in the path of Zerubavel, turn into level ground! For he shall produce that excellent stone; it shall be greeted with shouts of ‘Beautiful! Beautiful!'”
mi-a-TAH ha-HAR ha-ga-DOL lif-NEY ze-ru-BA-VEL le-mi-SHOR v'-ho-TZI et ha-E-ven ha-ro-SHAH te-SHU-OT khen khen laH
זמִֽי־אַתָּ֧ה הַֽר־הַגָּד֛וֹל לִפְנֵ֥י זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לְמִישֹׁ֑ר וְהוֹצִיא֙ אֶת־הָאֶ֣בֶן הָרֹאשָׁ֔הֿ תְּשֻׁא֕וֹת חֵ֥ן חֵ֖ן לָֽהּ׃
8And the word of Hashem came to me:
vai-HI d'-var a-do-NAI e-LAI lay-MOR
חוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
9“Zerubavel's hands have founded this House and Zerubavel's hands shall complete it. Then you shall know that it was the lord of Hosts who sent me to you.
Y'-day z'-ru-BA-vel yi-s'-DU ha-BA-yit ha-ZEH v'-ya-DAV t'-va-TZA-na, v'-ya-DA-at KEE a-do-NAI t'-va-OT sh'-la-KHA-nee a-lay-KHEM.
טיְדֵ֣י זְרֻבָּבֶ֗ל יִסְּד֛וּ הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה וְיָדָ֣יו תְּבַצַּ֑עְנָה וְיָ֣דַעְתָּ֔ כִּֽי־יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃
10Does anyone scorn a day of small beginnings? When they see the stone of distinction in the hand of Zerubavel, they shall rejoice. “Those seven are the eyes of Hashem, ranging over the whole earth.”
ki MI va-ZE le-YOM ke-ta-NOT, ve-sa-ME-khu ve-RA-u et ha-E-ven ha-be-DIL be-YAD ze-ru-BA-VEL shi-VAH-E-leh, E-NEI a-do-NAI heMAM me-SHO-te-TEEM be-KOL ha-A-retz.
יכִּ֣י מִ֣י בַז֮ לְי֣וֹם קְטַנּוֹת֒ וְשָׂמְח֗וּ וְרָא֞וּ אֶת־הָאֶ֧בֶן הַבְּדִ֛יל בְּיַ֥ד זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל שִׁבְעָה־אֵ֑לֶּה עֵינֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה הֵ֥מָּה מְשׁוֹטְטִ֖ים בְּכׇל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
11“And what,” I asked him, “are those two olive trees, one on the right and one on the left of the menorah?”
va-A-an va-o-MAR ay-LAV mah sh'-NAY ha-zay-TEEM ha-AY-leh al y'-MEEN ha-m'-no-RAH v'-al s'-mo-LAH
יאוָאַ֖עַן וָאֹמַ֣ר אֵלָ֑יו מַה־שְּׁנֵ֤י הַזֵּיתִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה עַל־יְמִ֥ין הַמְּנוֹרָ֖ה וְעַל־שְׂמֹאולָֽהּ׃
Zechariah 4:11 Those two olive trees
Emblem of the State of Israel
The menorah and olive branches depicted in Zecharya’s vision were chosen as the centerpieces of the State of Israel’s emblem. According to its designers, the olive branches symbolize the state’s peaceful intentions. The image of the menorah, copied from the Arch of Titus, attests to the link of the Jewish people with their glorious past in their homeland, and Israel’s return to its former luster. There are perhaps no two better symbols to represent the Jewish people. Oil is extracted when pressure is applied. In a similar fashion, the Jewish people are refined when faced with difficulty, as hardship allows one to become more sensitive to others and form a closer connection with Hashem. It follows that olive oil is used to light the menorah, representing clarity and wisdom for the entire world.
12And I further asked him, “What are the two tops of the olive trees that feed their gold through those two golden tubes?”
va-a-AN sh'-NEET va-o-MAR ay-LAV: mah sh'-TAY shi-b'-LAY ha-zei-TEEM a-SHER b'-YAD sh'-NAY tza-n'-ROT ha-za-HAV ha-m'-ree-KEEM may-a-LAY-hem ha-za-HAV
יבוָאַ֣עַן שֵׁנִ֔ית וָאֹמַ֖ר אֵלָ֑יו מַה־שְׁתֵּ֞י שִׁבְּלֵ֣י הַזֵּיתִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּיַ֗ד שְׁנֵי֙ צַנְתְּר֣וֹת הַזָּהָ֔ב הַֽמְרִיקִ֥ים מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַזָּהָֽב׃
13He asked me, “Don't you know what they are?” And I replied, “No, my lord.”
vai-YO-mer e-LAI lay-MOR: ha-LO ya-DA-ta MAH e-LEH, va-o-MAR lo a-do-NEE
יגוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הֲל֥וֹא יָדַ֖עְתָּ מָה־אֵ֑לֶּה וָאֹמַ֖ר לֹ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי׃
14Then he explained, “They are the two anointed dignitaries who attend the Lord of all the earth.”
va-YO-mer, AY-leh sh'-NAY v'-nay ha-yit-ZHAR, ha-o-m'-DEEM al a-DON kol ha-A-retz
ידוַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֵ֖לֶּה שְׁנֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־הַיִּצְהָ֑ר הָעֹמְדִ֖ים עַל־אֲד֥וֹן כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
